Some stores sell bottles. Some stores build relationships. I've been shopping with this family for more than 30 years, and Once Upon a Bottle is one of those places where you're greeted like a regular, not a transaction. The store is clean and organized, and it carries a great selection of wine, beer, and spirits, ranging from everyday favorites to allocated bottles. What I appreciate most is that they don't play the "museum pricing" game. I've found sought-after bottles here with surprisingly reasonable markups, even though other stores treat them like display pieces. It's the kind of neighborhood business that's becoming harder to find. Good people, fair prices, quality products, and a genuine connection to the community. Always worth the stop. read more

Once Upon A Bottle - Old Fitzgerald 19 - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Bruno, California

They have all the brands I tend to get. Alvarado, Humble Sea, Cellarmaker, Ghost Town, Laughing Monk, Russian River, and more. Obviously at the liquor store markup. read more

Once Upon A Bottle - Laughing Monk beer - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Bruno, California

Awesome little find while staying at Super 8 next door!! Very eclectic yet GOOD craft beer selection! I have to admit I bought these based on its artwork but they both turned out to be so good. Was expecting to find run of the mill convenience store selection so this was a great surprised. Perfect way to top off our stay in south city. Will definitely visit again on our next stay! read more

Once Upon A Bottle - two cans of beer - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Bruno, California

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I drive by this place every morning on my commute and was curious to see if they had a good selection of "craft beer". Looked them up on Instagram and was excited they promoted themselves as an ideal craft beer destination. Eager to go, I pulled up on a weekday morning to find it gave more of a liquor store vibe. The older man behind the counter wasn't friendly at all and noticed I was scanning a barcode on one of the beers which beer enthusiasts do on a popular app called Untappd. He scolded me from the counter and said "NO PICTURES!" Which shocked me and I respectfully said I wasn't taking pictures rather looking up the beer description on the app. As far as selection they do have some pretty well known beers available from popular Northern and even some out of the area breweries which was great. Sadly they don't sell single cans, I understand but when I asked the older man he again rudely replied that they do not sell singles as they don't sell. Just a minor suggestion, maybe if you were more polite and friendly people would consider coming back. If this is the owner I suggest you do your research on how craft beer enthusiasts are actually willing to spend $$ on good fresh beer, but I'd rather drive to other taprooms and liquor stores in the South Bay that actually are helpful and sell singles. Total Wines is a much better option. read more

Love this store. The owner is very nice and fun to talk to. This store is big and newer and the lay out is easy to find what you are looking for. Nice selection of alcohol. Prices are the same as you would find a big liquor stores so support a small business. read more

Stopped by this place with my husband and the owner Harry is so sweet. He used to own Buri Buri liquors in SSF. He is Such a nice guy and has all You snacks and liquor you need :) Harry has a great selection liquor beer and decent wine variety of wine. read more

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TLDR: Small-ish, but great spot for craft beer selection. If you are visiting the Bay Area and arriving at SFO, Once Upon A Bottle is a great spot to visit to pick up a variety of craft beer options near the airport. While it isn't the largest craft beer selection ever, there are certainly a number of options to choose from with beer from California breweries such as Russian River, Cellarmaker, Ghost Town, and Rare Barrel. Located along El Camino Real in San Bruno, if you're driving here going northbound from SFO, you'll make a u-turn at Jenevein Ave prior to it being on your right side. They have a small lot next to it with enough room for several cars. Keep in mind that the lot only has angled parking, so leaving might be a bit of a struggle during busier times with other cars trying to enter the lot as well. There appears to be street parking right in front of the store as an alternative. As of this review, it looks like they do not accept American Express, so don't bother with using an Amex card here. The staff is friendly and knowledgable about the local craft beer scene. Based on the selection that you bring to the counter, they may even suggest something for you, which could be helpful for the first-timer to the California craft beer scene. Overall, Once Upon A Bottle is great and worth a visit for your craft beer needs. read more

Went into this store after dinner around the corner, here on vacation heading into the city and needed to grab a bottle of bourbon for the room. Owner was super rude, thinks he knows everything about bourbon and obviously doesn't drink so he truly doesn't know secondary prices vs what is worth secondary to a bourbon drinker. I asked the price for oldl fitz 7yr and he said "139.00" I said wow I asked what about the 10yr old fitz and he said expensive" I said the 7yr I usually pay under 60dollars and he said, well go buy it then why didn't you buy it from the other place. I said I live in SoCal not NorCal, and he said this isn't SoCal this is NorCal. I asked about a few other bottles and he was just so unprofessional and rude. I had to buy a bottle of Rebel small batch Wheated, I was out of options at this point. I would highly recommend you do your research for other stores that treat their customers with respect and engage professionally. I regret even giving them my business. 1 star just because they had a parking lot. read more

I came to this bottle shop looking for some fresh IPAs and unfortunately most of what I found was very dated. As any craft beer drinker knows you want to drink IPAs at their freshest and need to check the bottom of the cans for the date. It seems this annoyed and disturbed the owner as he walked over and asked me what I was doing. I explained and then he told me only 1 row of beer was fresh. He proceeded to rant about an individual who took pictures of his beer inventory and told me I wasn't allowed to take pictures which I had no intent of doing. Needless to say this was a very off putting experience and strolled out of the story empty handed. I really wanted to find a new bottle shop but the lack of fresh product and a sour owner left me to continue my search. read more

I'm not completely sure but I think this place has the best selection of craft beer in the area. Or at least more selection than Luckys, Mollie Stone, and Safeway. It's larger on the inside than you would think, and a more curated beer selection than you would assume from the stores sign. Also the owner is super nice as others have said. Anyways there not great bars in the area and who wants to drink bud light for the rest of their life? read more

Been here twice great selection and the owner is quite helpful . Great neighborhood store

It's a great place to buy beers you can find any kind of beers here prices is the best , I love it talking to the owner pretty friendly person , other thing you can find is ... if you want to try it your lucky... you can get scratchers , Loto , Mega Millions here too ...honestly is the best store I have ever seen here in San Bruno , just come over to this store and you will see how much money you will save for beers It's a family owned store owned for a nice person that I like see every Friday after work, give me a pretty good prices , always ask about how my day was ..: how family are read more

Amazing service and good prices . Family owned business, i highly recommend this place !!!